Cool. Thanks. Do the "i" series have 8 physical cores too or is just the the Xeon processors? I know that AMD has 8 physical cores for not only the Opterons but the AM3+ processors as well.

Depends how you define "core". The new AMD chips (Bulldozer, Piledriver) have modules, and each module contains 2 integer execution units, and a shared FPU and shared L2 cache, instruction decoder, dispatch unit. This sharing of execution units is how Intel's hyper-threading also works. An 8 "core" AMD chip has 4 modules. A 16 "core" Opteron has 8 modules.

Interestingly, MS best practice for the Xbo360 was to completely ignore the threads.
They suggested just treating the machine as a three core CPU, and if you "must" use it for very very short bursts of threading.

Interestingly, MS best practice for the Xbo360 was to completely ignore the threads.
They suggested just treating the machine as a three core CPU, and if you "must" use it for very very short bursts of threading.

I think the cores in the Xbox 360 were the same as the PPE in the Cell processor. In which case they didn't have many execution units to begin with, and no out-of-order execution. So it makes sense that less threads were better. Power 7 has a good number of execution units and out-of-order execution.

Posting Permissions

PlayStation Universe

Copyright 2006-2014 7578768 Canada Inc. All Right Reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of Abstract Holdings International Ltd. prohibited.Use of this site is governed
by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.